# Not getting polish in/on cuticles



## Aquilah (Jan 12, 2008)

Okay, help a girl out here. No matter how hard I try, I always end up with polish in/on my cuticles. I try not to get too close, and I end up with a gap. I try to cover teh gap, and it gets on the cuticle. I try using a toothpick to get anything away from the cuticle, and something always goes amiss there too.

Does anyone have any tips/tricks to successfully NOT getting polish on the cuticles? I haven't browsed the Internet yet, but figured I'd ask here first. I'll check and see what I can find in a bit, and share anything I can in case anyone else has this issue. Any ideas, help? TIA!!!


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## magosienne (Jan 13, 2008)

frankly i'm not of much use, nailpolish always ends up messy with me &gt;.&lt; the only thing that works a bit is the basic scotch tape sitting on my desk. i put it all around ny nail, but you have to be careful removing it and really be sure the nail polish is dry. but even with that, i paint the nail and the tape


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## dentaldee (Jan 13, 2008)

I'm a messy nail painter.....I just make sure I do it at night and then have a shower the next day and all the messy bits come off.

Sorry I'm not much help......do you push your cuticles back before you start?


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## Aquilah (Jan 13, 2008)

I looked online, and found something. They said to put the brush about 1/8" before the cuticle and kinda push down towards the cuticle before going up. I tried it, and I made WAY less mess! Almost nothing on my cuticles too! Definitely try it! Goodness knows I'm one of the messiest when it comes to painting my fingernails! I could care less about my toenails looking way messy at first, but it's a different story with my fingernails LOL!


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## SimplyElegant (Jan 13, 2008)

I don't care how messy I am with applying it. I just use a q-tip soaked in nail polish remover and clean up the messy bits and it always looks perfect once I'm done that.


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## Anthea (Jan 13, 2008)

Originally Posted by *Aquilah* /img/forum/go_quote.gif I looked online, and found something. They said to put the brush about 1/8" before the cuticle and kinda push down towards the cuticle before going up. I tried it, and I made WAY less mess! Almost nothing on my cuticles too! Definitely try it! Goodness knows I'm one of the messiest when it comes to painting my fingernails! I could care less about my toenails looking way messy at first, but it's a different story with my fingernails LOL! Thats the way I apply nail polish but sometimes I do get it wrong.


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## magosienne (Jan 14, 2008)

Originally Posted by *SimplyElegant* /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't care how messy I am with applying it. I just use a q-tip soaked in nail polish remover and clean up the messy bits and it always looks perfect once I'm done that. i use that too lol. i also use that little wooden stick to push cuticles back, i put some cotton on it and it does a more precise job than the q-tip.


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## xxahsinxx (Jan 17, 2008)

i normally push the brush down then go up with the brush to the nail tip...but the best way to clear it up is a cotton bud anda nailpolish remover. Nobody is perfect!


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## daer0n (Jan 17, 2008)

I use a qtip to remove any excess on the cuticles, now, i rarely ever paint my nails but that is what i use to remove the mistakes lol! it works all the time, i just have to remove some of the cotton off the tip of the qtip to make it smaller so that i can get the polish off the cuticles and voila


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## Jamie L. Squire (Jan 17, 2008)

I have found the Q-Tip method works best


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## Trixie24 (Jan 17, 2008)

Originally Posted by *SimplyElegant* /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't care how messy I am with applying it. I just use a q-tip soaked in nail polish remover and clean up the messy bits and it always looks perfect once I'm done that. Haha I do the same thing. Both with my toenails and finger nails. I always get it on the cuticle too, my hands just arent steady enough... I've tried the 1/8th inch thing many times but my hands are too jittery to get it perfect!


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## breathless (Jan 18, 2008)

i just brush away and don't worry about getting anything perfect. after my nails dry, i wash my hands and all the extra polish comes right off.


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## peachface (Jan 18, 2008)

Originally Posted by *breathless* /img/forum/go_quote.gif i just brush away and don't worry about getting anything perfect. after my nails dry, i wash my hands and all the extra polish comes right off. Same here!


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## PerfectMistake (Jan 18, 2008)

There is no way to avoid getting it on there, unless you have an easy hand...this is what I do...

Get Vaseline (or something else that you prefer, as long as it is similar) and put a thin layer all over the area. Get a Q-Tip and dip it in some non-acetone nail polish remover and clean the Vaseline off JUST the nail. Let the remove dry off. Paint. If it gets on your cuticles, don't fret! Let the polish dry, wash your hands with soap...and the polish comes off with the Vaseline.

Always works form me



Give it a try!


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## Aquilah (Jan 18, 2008)

Originally Posted by *PerfectMistake* /img/forum/go_quote.gif There is no way to avoid getting it on there, unless you have an easy hand...this is what I do...
Get Vaseline (or something else that you prefer, as long as it is similar) and put a thin layer all over the area. Get a Q-Tip and dip it in some non-acetone nail polish remover and clean the Vaseline off JUST the nail. Let the remove dry off. Paint. If it gets on your cuticles, don't fret! Let the polish dry, wash your hands with soap...and the polish comes off with the Vaseline.

Always works form me



Give it a try!

Now that's a smart idea! Thanks Alex!


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## PerfectMistake (Jan 18, 2008)

I have them once in a while. LOL!!!


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## Trixie24 (Jan 18, 2008)

Ill have to try the vaseline method as well!


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## Victoria Anne (Jan 18, 2008)

I to will have to try the vaseline method as I am messy when it comes to my nails and thw worst on my toes , otherwise I just go to the when I can find the time.


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## sephoras girl (Jan 19, 2008)

This thread just helped me out.


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## JordanGalore (Jan 28, 2008)

I have to say...it takes practice. I was the same way when I started out "all natural" and it took months for me to not get the polish in my cuticles. I took my time (no matter how long it was) and I used pointed q-tips with a little bit of nail polish remover and cleaned up that way. Now I dont have to use the q-tips and it doesnt take me long...so like they say...practice makes perfect. You can also try using a birchwood cuticle stick to push back your cuticles a bit before applying the polish. I find that helps some also.


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## Raze (Mar 5, 2008)

Yep - another who cant put polish on her nails (gets everywhere else tho!)






I'll have to try the Vaseline method and hope practice makes perfect!


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## Trisha. (Mar 5, 2008)

I wish I would of knew this before hand. I just painted my nails..lol. Unfortunately, the q-tip soaked in polish remover afterwards always ends up getting the polish off my nail too because it's not thin enough.


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## KnowHow (Aug 22, 2008)

OPI now has a "Pen" that has a flat end spongy textured to remove nail polish from cuticles. It works well.


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## x33cupcake (Aug 24, 2008)

i used the vaseline advise and it works!!


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## Bec688 (Aug 24, 2008)

Originally Posted by *Aquilah* /img/forum/go_quote.gif I looked online, and found something. They said to put the brush about 1/8" before the cuticle and kinda push down towards the cuticle before going up. I tried it, and I made WAY less mess! Almost nothing on my cuticles too! Definitely try it! Goodness knows I'm one of the messiest when it comes to painting my fingernails! I could care less about my toenails looking way messy at first, but it's a different story with my fingernails LOL! That's how you're taught to do it when you're learning at college, it works wonders.


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